Clippings
by stakemenow
Summary: AU after New Moon. What happens when Bella learns more about Edward's past than she had bargained for?
1. Happily Never After

Disclaimer: don't own them

Prologue: Happily Never After

A short month ago, my life had been in shreds. In the course of a few weeks it had almost gone back to what it had been Before. A lot of things still didn't make sense, but I'd given up hope that they ever would.

The alarm clock rang and I rolled toward it. I climbed out of bed, across the cold floor, and to the bathroom where I preceded to brush my teeth.

The center of my world was once again Edward. I didn't need to have his unusual power to tell that I was the same in his. I never thought I'd be able to understand that. I'm not a beauty, I'm not anything particularly extraordinary. I should be dead several times over by now. I should have been dead the day I met Edward. I'm glad that I didn't, and at the same time, I wish it had. Not in a morbid suicidal way, but more that there have been times since I met Edward that it would have been easier to have been dead. There was also a romantic eternal life and non-seemingly, but still tragic existence that appealed to me. I was so close to that fate. I knew it would be coming soon, just as I knew that Edward would fight me on it until the very end. He still couldn't see that my soul lived and died with him.

I clambered down the stairs and into the kitchen. As I was getting the milk out of the fridge for my daily cereal, I saw a note. It read, _'Bella, going to be home late, Dad.'_ I finished my cereal and went outside to my old truck. Charlie must have left early. Ever since that 'trip' to Italy, Charlie had started becoming more and more protective.

I had a reason to suspect that he wouldn't follow through with it. Despite the fact that the Volturi had been promised that I'd be made. Not long after the Cullen clan accepted me into their futuristic family, Edward had struck a sort of deal with me. The one thing I wanted the most was to be by his side until the end of time. But in the dreams I had of how everything could go, he was the one who'd change me. Only that short amount of time ago, Edward made a simple request in return for what I'd asked. A contingency, if you prefer. Me to marry him first. Me, Isabella Swan, married to a vampire before I myself joined them in their immortality. The pain, I'd be able to endure. The living forever... sure, no problem. But for me... marriage is the path to failure. At least if, in eternal life, he tired of me, I wouldn't feel burdened to stay. I would stay if I married him first. This, above all else was what I feared from these vampires. Fear of loosing them, but also, in a way, a fear of their love. It hurts more when it's the people you love the most that leave. Even worse when you're doing the leaving. Marriage had doomed my parents. I didn't want the same. I didn't want to have to give it all up. During the chaos of the moment, I never _fully_ answered. There may have been implications, but I still hadn't made up my mind.

I pulled into the school parking lot, being cautious of the cars that seemed to think that they had a right to whiz past me, just because my truck can't go over fifty. I didn't realize until that exact moment. The moment when I saw Edward and Alice waiting for me by as I got out of my truck. I had nothing to worry about, so why was I worrying? That moment that I looked at his perfect face and my breath escaped me. That second when I felt safe again, as I hadn't dared to a month before. I could feel my face shift in my astonished awe at this realization. _'I'm going to marry him.'_ my mind told me. I almost said it out loud, but decided against it. Once again, I was alarmingly happy that I was the one exception to Edward's gift. I didn't want him to just find out. More importantly, I didn't want him to realize that I hadn't decided to **not** not marry him until that moment. Because, at that instant, I knew I wouldn't be able to accept that kind of gifted curse from anyone other than him, contingencies be dned._'That's it,'_ I told myself, _'decision made.'_ I immediately regretted my decision, however. A tidal wave of panic over took me as I watched Alice go statuesquely still. Edward's face morphed into a frown as I came to stand next to him, gnawing at my bottom lip.

Alice's eyes returned to focus, and Edward's face relaxed. I held my breath, nervous. Alice's eyes fluttered from me, to Edward, and back. Her features were molded into shock, but before I could blink, it returned to it's normal state. She must have been dying to ask. That much, I could read in her eyes. Getting even more nervous, I turned to Edward. His face had once again shifted, this time into my favorite crooked smile. His topaz eyes moved their gaze down to my hand. Smile firmly in place, he took that hand into his own and laced his fingers through mine. My breath caught as he lifted them to his lips and kissed them gently. My heart jumped at the feel of cold lips and hands on my own fingers. And I was surprised, for I never remembered Edward having ever doe that before. He let our hands fall to our sides, still laced, and watched my face. The cool, collected look that the Cullens had perfected returned, but I could still see my smile in his eyes. It was as if I hadn't made a potentially life altering decision at that very moment. I knew I'd have some explaining to do, as would Edward, to Alice. Her honey colored eyes followed us as we walked to first period. Before we got out of the standard human hearing range, I heard her say one thing, "Well, this should be interesting." I should have known then that I'd delved into something beyond my comprehension. I should have known what I was getting myself into. I should have remembered that life's not a fairy tale, and that my happily ever after will never come.


	2. New

Disclaimer: don't own them

Chapter One: New

The day had been off to a good start. That was, until English. I took my usual seat by Edward and turned to face the front of the class as the bell rang. Imagine my surprise to see someone that I'd never seen before standing next to Mr. Berty. In a place like Forks, you usually knew when someone new was going to show up. I hadn't heard of anyone new coming into Forks. Not that I'd really been 'aware' of the world for the past... however long it was. The girl that was standing up there belonged in Forks about as much as Christmas in July. Forks doesn't really have a 'bad' crowd. Proof enough was the fact that the Cullens were the most intimidating people there. But if we did have a 'bad' crowd, this girl would have been the head of it.

She was thin and small. She was pale, not quite Cullen pale, but pale enough to be suspicious. She had shoulder length auburn hair that flipped out at the edges and hung in her face. Small lips, small nose and enormous sapphire eyes that made her look like those porcelain dolls that you're afraid to touch because they'll probably break. Her appearance was somewhat a startling contrast to her face. Black jeans, black combat boots, black tee-shirt with some band name on it, black sweatshirt that met the silver studded belt that held up her jeans. Definitely the type of person that likes to be noticed. People that dress like that always want to be noticed, they just don't want to seem that they want the attention that they want... kind of confusing, but somewhere in there is a logic, I'm sure. People like that were also unpredictable... I've learned not to trust unpredictable.

Mr. Berty smiled at the class and waved the girl forward. She looked around the room and her eyes stopped at me. A smirk slid across her face and her eyes twinkled in amusement as she looked back at Edward. Mr Berty nodded at her, "Class, we have a new student, or rather, and old student. I'd like to introduce you to Miss Rain Taylor, some of you may remember her from a few years ago. She just moved in with her grandmother, Maggie Morgan, over the weekend." My eyes widened. Everyone knew 'The Widow' Maggie Morgan. A couple of years ago she and her only son got into a huge fight and he ended up leaving, taking his daughter with him. It was one of those fights that everyone knows happened, but no one knows why it happened. The girl's mother had died a few years before then, and the story went that less then a year after they left Rain ended up in foster care. Another one of those things that people have no idea why it happened. It made since that when she turned 18 she went back to the only family that she could. The catch was, Rain Taylor had been a goody goody and everyone knew it. She was the teacher's pet, the know-it-all. It makes you wonder what she went through to turn out that way.

About a month before, Jamie Hinn moved to live with her mother in Colorado, so the seat across the aisle from Edward was empty. Without waiting for Mr.Berty's approval, Rain strutted over to the seat and slouched into the chair. She did it so casually, and yet purposefully. Mr.Berty announced to the class that today was a day to work on our individual projects, so I pulled out my copy of _Oliver Twist_ as Edward pulled out his copy of _Great Expectations_. I tried to concentrate on reading my book, but sometimes you can't help but to hear other people's conversations, and what you hear pulls you into it... or in this case, what you _didn't_ hear. "I see on your transcripts that you already did this project at your last school." Mr. Berty told Rain, apparently waiting for a response that he didn't get, so he continued, "Uh... well... you should have something to do, so I'll leave you to it." Rain just stared at him through her hair. She didn't seem to blink or be breathing. When Mr. Berty walked away from her, she laughed silently and shook her head.

As Edward and I walked to our next class, I heard a faint laughing sound behind us. The laugh was soon followed by a voice I couldn't place. "If it isn't the _amazing_ Edward Cullen." The voice was husky, with an edge of mockery. "And it looks as if he has a little friend." The voice added to it. I turned, my face red with fury, to see the twinkling sapphire eyes of Rain Taylor. Smirk in place, she wasn't even looking at me. Edward sighed and turned, placing his arm around me protectively. My anger changed to confusion at this gesture, she was just a little girl, what was his deal? Did he think I couldn't protect myself against _her_? "Who'd've ever thought that Edward Cullen would still be hanging around in Forks?" Edward looked at her coldly, causing a shiver to run up my spine. I'd once been on the receiving end of that glare, and I hadn't liked it. Rain, though, seemed to be thriving on it. Edward's voice came out just as cold and deadly as his glare, never before had I heard that perfect voice sound so human and inhuman at the same time, "And who'd've ever thought that Rain Taylor would ever come back? How's the family" With the tone he used, I almost expected her to blow up at him. I had no idea what he was talking about, and it still seemed like a low punch. She, however, remained smirking and laughed softly. "I could ask the same of you, Cullen." Her voice almost seemed sad, but it echoed the amusement in her eyes. Was it possible to be sad and amused? If it was, I don't think I'd like it. Edward's already black eyes darkened at her statement. Rain smiled and turned to face the parking lot. Halfway there, she turned back, finger raised in thought, "And tell Jasper that I said hello." Again there was a sad edge to her voice. Edward remained silent the whole way to our next class. "What did she mean about Jasper?" I asked him. "Nothing." He replied, all too quickly.

During lunch, Edward was still silent. Alice was busy making up one of the tests she'd missed while they were away, so the table was filled with chatter about Rain. Mike and Tyler were arguing over some rumor that they'd heard. I wasn't listening, I was paying attention to Edward's thoughtful silence. How I wish I knew what he was thinking. 'No you don't...' a little voice told me, 'It would terrify you... you want to know what he's **not** thinking.' The voice was right, it always was. I wasn't sure if the voice was my consious or what, but it was always right.

"Well, I heard that one day she just snapped, and they had to send her to this hospital..." Jess stated matter-of-factly to the small group congregating around our table. "No way," Lauren shook her head, "She offed her dad and got sent to juvie." There were gasps all around the table. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to laugh, it was all so rediculous! She was probably just some wanna-be poser who... I was interrupted by the person who loomed over Jess.

"Well, you know what I heard?" The soft, husky voice asked Jess. She turned to face Rain, who leaned in, resting her arms on either side of Jess, trapping her in. "I heard that she doesn't like people talking about her. **And**..." She leaned in closer, all signs of amusement gone, "hates rumors even more then she hates stupid little gossips." She drew out the insult and then smiled, as if challenging Jess to retaliate, which, of course, being Jess, she did. She stood up as Rain backed away from the table. Rain's eyes flashed and she thingyed her head to the side... almost hunter-like. Jess was oblivious to this as she spoke, "Well, _I_ think you should just leave. This is _our_ town, and we don't want a freak like you." Rain's eyes widened, and I thought she was going to cry. But people like that don't cry. Instead, she laughed.

It wasn't the soft laugh that I'd heard from her before. This was a bitter, hysterical, sarcastic laugh. Her stare was preditorial, unblinking. She almost seemed to be holding Jess in a trance. She stepped forward, jaw set tightly. In that moment, I was terrified. The look on her face was definately not one that a poser would have, it was the look that I'd seen precious few places. And each of those places were the faces of vampires... the face of a killer. Or at least someone who'd consider killing. Before I knew it, a pale white arm shot out in front of her. "Back off, Rain." Edward growled at her, startling me out of my fear. I just kept getting more and more confused! Edward barely talked to anyone other then me. Jess seemed just as lost as I was that Edward had stepped between her and Rain. Everything about Rain screamed 'preditor' and yet, she couldn't be a vampire... her eyes were that sapphire blue. But what shocked me was hearing Edward's musical voice taking on the same qualities that made Rain's sound dangerous. Her eyes darkened, but the smirk returned. She walked around him, also as a preditor would. I didn't like this at all. She glanced up at him through her thickly mascaraed lashes. She stepped to the side of him, circling him. Her teeth flashed white in the light as she whispered, "As you wish." She looked down at his arm and rested her hand there as he snarled from his position of watching her over his shoulder. He didn't pull away, or shrug her off, but in a second she let her hand drop to her side. Her eyes blinked to me, sadness echoed in them, "Always as you wish." She spun away, and in a moment, I lost her to the crowd. When Edward turned around, his face was contorted. I couldn't read the expression there, and I didn't think I wanted to. The way the stories went, Rain left only 2 months after the Cullens arrived. How well had they known each other? I certainately didn't know. I didn't know anything about who she was at all. Nothing but that in that moment, she was no longer the hunter, she was the victim, of what I didn't know, but I intended to find out.


End file.
